There's Magic in the Air!

Good evening crafty friends!

Hope everyone is well. Phew, we've made it - half term beckons, so it's a week off from the alarm clock! :oD If you've already had half term in your area, sorry :o( !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's New Release Inspiration time at All Dressed Up and Wendy has drawn 4 super-cute digis that are perfect for October crafting - you may have already seen the first New Release Inspiration post (click here if you haven't as you don't want to miss the wonderful creations by half the Blog DT!) and now it's time for the other half of the Blog DT to have fun with these images:

Top left is Double the Trouble, top right is Have a Magical Evening, bottom left is Little Birdie and bottom right is Monsterific and if you click on each image name you will taken straight to that image in the shop!

I've been working with Have a Magical Evening and here's my card:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is black cardstock which has been cut, scored and folded to make a DL cardbase
• Design Paper - is by Summer at the now closed Summertime Designs. This paper comes from Summer's digital kit Happy Halloween and is called Web Paper
  
• Image - is the super cute witch Have a Magical Evening drawn by Wendy at All Dressed Up Digital Stamps. I've brought this swinging witch to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours before adding a dash of white glitter to the moon and stars:
• Skin - FS2, FS3, FS4, TN4, FS8 (Blush)
• Hair - IG1, IG2, IG3, CR1, OR3, TN4
• Hat - FS5, CR1, OR3, TN4, TN8, IG3, IG5, IG7, IG9
• Dress and Boots - IG3, IG5, IG7, IG9
• Underskirt and Stockings - FS5, CR1, OR3, TN4, TN8
• Moon - IG1, IG2, IG3
• Outline - IG1, IG2
• Black Ribbon - from my stash

I hope I've inspired you to head over to the Esty Store and pop this cutie in your basket, but if you're in need of further inspiration please head over to the Blog and check out the other beautiful creations by my clever teamies.

Don't forget that we have our Anything Goes with an All Dressed Up Image Challenge on the blog until 14th November 2016 and the Facebook Dressie Girls are hosting their Halloween/Autumn challenge until 31st October 2016.

I've been inspired by and would like to enter the following challenge:

• Sketch #374 at Tuesday Morning Sketches - I have flipped the sketch so my image and bow are on the opposite sides to yours!
• Halloween Colours at Spectrum Noir Facebook Page

I would also like to enter the following challenges:

• October Challenge - Halloween at Crafty Calendar Challenge
• Halloween at Di's Digi Designs Challenge
• Challenge #120 - Black + One other Colour at Inkspiration Challenges
• Aloha Friday Challenge #83 - Halloween at Kitty Bee Designs
• Challenge #151 - Orange you glad it's Autumn (with ribbon) at Really Reasonable Ribbon
• Halloween at The Stamping Boutique Challenge
• Challenge #448 - Halloween at Cute Card Thursday
• Challenge #269 - Halloween at The Paper Shelter

Hope you have a great weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Love Hearts

Hi crafty friends!

Apologies as I'm a wee bit late with this DT inspiration post - time kind of just ran away with me last week!

Anyway, we've launched our new challenge at Incy Wincy Designs and this one should be really fun ... we would like to see your creations which have been Inspired by Candy/Sweets! Sorry, but we can't be held responsible should you choose to eat plenty of sweets to get your inspiration :oD !!!!!!!

We've got two great sponsors lined up this time, so there'll be 2 Random winners who will each get one of our prize packages.

First up is the lovely Nikki and her team from Polkadoodles and they are offering our first lucky prize winner 3 digital images from the store.

Our second sponsor is (to me) a new company, and it's Magda from Magda Polakow Studios and she is offering our second lucky prize winner this pack of 3 digital images as showcase by the DT over on our challenge blog:

This is another project that has also been inspired following a TV programme I've recently watched ;o) ! In August this year, the BBC screened an episode of Inside the Factory which followed the production processes right through the Swizzel's Matlow factory including making these Love Hearts sweets (although I thought that multicoloured hearts might look a bit too much on this project  LOL!!! so I stuck to the lavender shades) and I've been inspired by the shape of these sweets plus the "Love" messages ...

... to make this favour that a bride might carry together with her bouquet:

And here's a close up of the favour itself:

My project recipe is as follows:

• Heart Base - is made from Centura Pearl Snow White Silver and I have die cut this using my largest and second largest Die'sire Essentials Hearts dies which I nested together to create a heart shaped frame.
• Image - is the flower which is part of this 3 Gacek Set by Magda at Magda Polakow Studios. I
  have printed several of these flowers and coloured them using my Spectrum Noir Pens in shades HB1, HB2, HB3, LV2, IG7 before fussy cutting them, shaping them and mounting them on my heart frame using 3D Glue Gel.
• Cord - is from my stash and I think it came from a Hobbycraft "grab bag"

As I'm writing this, I've just realised that I could have chosen Parma Violets, but I really wasn't that keen on them so could not claim them as one of my favourite sweets! Anyway, I hope I've inspired you to create something that has been Inspired by Candy/Sweets, but if you're in need of any further ideas please head over to Incy Wincy Designs where my fellow Design Teamies have created with all manner of yummy goodness! Then come back and show us your creations. We'll be back with our next challenge on 7th November 2016.

I would like to share this project with the following challenges:

• #68 - Let's go Floral at Crafting with Dragonflies
• Challenge #220 - Handmade Flowers at Brown Sugar Challenge
• Challenge #21 - Frame It at Morgan's Artworld
• HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge at Happy Little Stampers
• Die Cuts / Punches Challenge at Whoopsi Daisy
• Challenge 4 - Anything Goes with optional twist of use a Die at Creates and Makes
• Challenge #26 - Anything Goes at Lemon Shortbread

Hope you have a great week!

Hugs, Helen x

Fairy Magic

This is my second post of the day - please scroll down to see my first post

Good evening blogging buddies, and here's my second post of the day as promised earlier!




It's new challenge time at All Dressed Up and as usual our theme is Anything Goes with an All Dressed Up Image. Don't have any ADU images? Don't panic, you can find plenty in Wendy's Esty Shop and there are even a few freebies over on the Blog so you can "try before you buy" ;o) Our Random Winner of this challenge gets 3 of Wendy's gorgeous images to play with, and the DT will be choosing their Top 3!






Wendy has very kindly let all the DT girls choose their own image to play with, so here's my inspiration card for you:

I've deliberately kept this card very CAS as it's for my Great Niece who will be 4 next week - I didn't want to chance any small embellishments falling off!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card Base - is a pre-made 12.5cm square card base in cream
• Design Paper & Ribbon Slider - come from the long since retired Strawberry Kisses Papercrafting CD-Rom by Crafter's Companion. They are part of a "card companion" design where you get co-ordinating papers, tags, embellishments etc. All you need to do is cut them out and assemble :o)! I rescaled these in my word processing programme, so they fitted onto my card base nicely.
  
• Image - is the gorgeous Fairy Magic by Wendy at All Dressed Up Digital Stamps and she comes with this pretty scene of butterflies and sentiment around her. All I had to do was bring her life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours, before cutting her out and mounting her onto my card.
• Skin - FS2, FS3, FS4, TN4, FS8 (Blush)
• Hair - CT1, CT4, GB3, GB7
• Dress & Hair Band - TB1, TB2, TB3
• Wings - TB1, TB3, Clear Spectrum Noir Sparkle Overlay
• Butterflies - CR7 applied to acetate and picked up with Blender Pen which was used like a brush to give a "watercolour" effect
• Outline- IG1
• Grounding - IG1, IG2

I hope I've inspired you to come over to the All Dressed Up Blog and play along with us this month, but if you're in need of further inspiration please go over there and check out the other wonderful creations by my very talented teamies! This challenge will end on 14th November 2016.

Don't forget the Facebook Dressy Girls have their own challenge of Autumn/Halloween running until 31st October 2016 - why not combine your entries for more chances of winning some of Wendy's pretty digis? Some of the newly released images would be perfect to create with ;o) !!!!!!!!

I would like to enter this cutie into the following challenges:

• Challenge #07 at Classic Design Team Open Challenge (Second Entry)
• October Challenge - Anything Goes with Patterned Papers at CraftyHazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge
• Challenge #22 - Anything Digital Goes at Ants in my Digital Pantry (AKA Doodle Pantry)
• Week 40 - Anything Goes at Polkadoodles
• Challenge #148 - Anything Goes at Little Miss Muffet Challenges
• Anything Goes at Seize the Birthday
• Celebrations Cards 4 Kids at Send A Smile 4 Kids
• Week 30 - Anything Goes at The Pencil Case

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Sleigh Ride

Good morning my crafty friends, and hope you are all well. Gentle hugs winging their way round for anyone who is in need.


It's new challenge day at Feeling Sketchy so here goes with the important info you need!

Our wonderful sponsor this time is the lovely Nikki from Polkadoodles who is offering the winner of this challenge a prize pack. And even if you're not our lucky winner, do head over to the store as there's a coupon code there so everyone can save ;o) !

Here's the sketch designed by Michelle that we're working with this time:

And here's my inspiration for you:

As you can see, I've rotated the sketch clockwise by 90° to suit my DP and I've gone for circles instead of the rectangular blocks.

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base card - is Snow White Silver Centura Pearl which I've cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm card base
• Paper, Topper and Sentiment - all come from a set called Sleigh Ride by Hunkydory Crafts. They were in a special pack called Festive Splendour which came with the November 2016 issue of Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine. I love the foiling on the topper and sentiment and the lovely pastel shades on the paper!

This card was super quick and super easy to put together - just not so easy to photograph in artificial light!

I hope you'll come over to Feeling Sketchy and play along with our sketch. If you're in need of further inspiration, please check out the wonderful creations by my clever teamies! Then come back and show us your take on our sketch - don't forget that you can flip and rotate the sketch to suit your stash; we just need to see that your project has been inspired by our sketch.

We'll be back with our next challenge on 1st November 2016.

I'll be back later on this afternoon with another post. In the meantime, take care.

Hugs, Helen x

The Aurora Watcher

Hello friends, and a particularly warm welcome to Carole who is my newest follower and also a fellow DT member over at All Dressed Up. I hope you enjoy my crafty ramblings Carole!

Today sees the start of our new challenge at Incy Wincy Designs and this time our challenge is All That Glitters. I love a bit of sparkle, don't you?:oD !!!!!!!

Our kind sponsor for this challenge is Mi Ran who is the artist behind ArtbyMiran, and she'll is offering the lucky winner of a prize pack.

Mi Ran was also kind enough to offer the DT a choice of digi to showcase for this challenge, so here's my card featuring one of her gorgeous images:

OK, so it's time for some "Ramblings" from Casa Mia. Earlier on this summer, the BBC screened a series by Prof. Brian Cox (yes, he who "messes with my head"!) called Forces of Nature. If you've seen the programme, I guess you'll be in step with me and know exactly how this card came to life. If not, read on .... In the very last episode of the series, Prof. Brian was explaining about the Aurora Borealis and there was a segment filmed with a British family who live in the Aurora oval in Norway. The segment showed Mum, Dad and 4 children all piling into their motor home and going Aurora chasing. When they were filmed with the Aurora Borealis light show overhead, the children's faces were just filled with absolute wonder. So, when this image popped up as one we could use for this challenge, I just had to try and create my own Aurora Borealis for you.  Oh, and if you want to know more about the family in Norway, you can follow their antics on their own blog Aurora Addicts.

My card recipe is as listed, following this Bendi Fold tutorial at SplitCoast Stampers to create the card:

• Card back - is a 5½ x 4¼ inch piece of Neenah Solar Crest Card which I have coloured in a representation of the Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights following a bonus Background Tutorial with the May Monthly Class by Alyce at Kit and Clowder. The Spectrum Noir Pens I used to create this background are CG4, CG3, LY3, PP2, BP3, PL3, PL4, TB7, TB9 together with a white gel pen for the stars.
• Snowy banks - are made from a 5½ x 2½ inch and a 5½ x 1¾ inch piece of white glitter card which I had in my stash. I cut a slanted top edge to each piece, embossed one of the wavy embossing lines on my Ultimate Pro and then cut this out to make the top edges of the snow banks.
• Snowflake - is the middle sized snowflake from the Festive Wonder Snowflake Trio die set, part of Sara Davies' Signature Collection and sadly no longer available. I cut this from the same white glitter card as the snowy banks and then adhered it to my Aurora background.
  
• Image - is the enchanted Girl wearing Hat and Scarf by Mi Ran at ArtbyMiran. I have brought this awestuck girl to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours, before fussy cutting her out and attaching her to a snowy bank.
• Skin - FS2, FS3, FS4, TN4, FS8 (Blush)
• Hair - TN3, EB3, EB8
• Hat, Scarf & Mittens - LY3, CG3, CG4
• Top & Tights - IG1, IG2, IG3
• Skirt & Boots- TB1, TB4, TB8, TB9
• Sentiment - came from a stamp set which was a freebie with Crafter's Inspiration Magazine - Issue 8 and I've stamped this in Black Memento Ink directly onto my glitter card.

So, there you have it ... my glittery card. To check out more gorgeous glitteriness, please head over to Incy Wincy Designs and take a peek at the lovely creations by my teamies. Then come back and show us your creations that are All that Glitters. We'll be back with our next challenge on Monday 17th October 2016.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

• Christmas with Crafter's Companion Products at I'm a Crafter's Companion Facebook Page
• Challenge #129 - Anything Goes with the Optional Twist of "Make your own Background" at Digistamps4Joy
• Challenge #68 - Anything Goes at ArtbyMiran Challenge
• All of a Sparkle at That's Crafty Challenge
• Challenge #31 - No Patterned Paper at Make My Monday Challenge - Second Entry
• Challenge #85 - Let it Shine! at Card Mania Challenge
• October Anything Goes Challenge at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra
• Challenge #14 - Anything Goes at World Wide Open Design Team Challenge
• Challenge #07 at Classic Design Team Open Challenge

Hugs, Helen x

Shake it up!

This is my second post of the day - please scroll down to see my earlier post

Good afternoon blogging buddies! Yup, this is a second post from me today and I am beyond excited as I've had to keep this news to myself for 2, whole weeks!!!!! 


I am super proud to announce that Wendy and her team liked my entry for their DT Call last month and asked me to join them. I can now call myself a "Dressy Girl" at All Dressed Up and I can't wait to show you my creations with Wendy's gorgeous, girly images !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

So over at All Dressed Up we're introducing all the new "Dressy Girls" both on the blog and also on All Dressed Up Facebook page, and each new DT member has been asked to make a card to showcase. Here's mine:

Papa Mia and I celebrated our 23rd Wedding Anniversary last weekend and this gorgeous image of Wendy's seemed to be just perfect to put on my card to Papa Mia.

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is a premade card around 14.8cm square
• Top Card - is Centura Pearl Snow White Silver cut to fit over the card base. I've die cut into the the middle of this piece of card with my largest Die'sire Essentials Hearts die.
• Shaker Window -  I wanted the die cut heart to be the rear part of my shaker window, so I placed the top piece of card central on my base card, and stuck the heart down through the heart shaped hole! We had a corrugated cardboard box in our recycling, so I cut a smaller square from this, and die cut an aperture with my largest Die'sire Essentials Hearts die. I stuck this down to my base card over the Centura Pearl heart and then filled the hole with pale purple heart sequins and silver glitter which I discovered in the Bambinos' "arty cupboard". A square of acetate stuck over the top of the cardboard sealed the window.
  
• Image - this gorgeous girlie is called Love You and she is by Wendy at All Dressed Up Stamps. I have brought this girl to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours before fussy cutting her and adding her to my card
• Skin - FS2, FS3, FS4, TN4, FS8 (Blush)
• Hair - TN3, EB3, EB8
• Top - IG1, IG2, IG3
• Jeans - TB2, TB3, TB4
• Outline - BT1
• Sentiment - is from the Swirly String Sentiments Set by Lili of the Valley which I stamped in Black Memento Ink directly onto the Centura Pearl

If you want to be blown away by some outstanding creations, please head over to the All Dressed Up Challenge Blog and check out the line up from the other new "Dressy Girls" - make sure you say "Hi" to them all as well won't you? 

And, if you're in need of a further Dressy Fix before our next blog challenge, don't forget that we also have a Facebook Group (with a new monthly challenge starting), a Pinterest Board and, of course, Wendy's  Esty Shop.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:

• Challenge #31 - No Patterned Paper at Make My Monday Challenge
• Challenge #41 - Special Occasions at Crafty Friends Challenge
• Challenge #331 - Always Anything Goes at Craft Your Passion Challenge
• Challenge #211 - Cut it Up at QKR Stampede

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Vintage Rays

Good morning crafty friends and hope that this post finds you well. Can you believe that it's the first day in October and we are officially three quarters of the way through the year!

It's new challenge day at Feeling Sketchy and our sponsor this time is the wonderful Tammy from A Day for Daisies who is offering the winner of this challenge a prize. And everyone can be a winner through Tammy's generosity; if you head to Tammy's shop you will be able to find a couple of freebies to try out Tammy's gorgeous stamps!

Here's the sketch we're playing with this time:

And here's my "take" on it:

I've gone for a "vintage vibe" with this card and found this softly coloured DP with a gorgeous feminine feel to it and didn't totally copy Michelle's sketch as I fancied trying a "starburst" background.

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is a pre-made A5 card blank in white cardstock
• Design Paper - is Roses Painted Collage Paper from the kit Jane by Melo Vrijhof at Pixel Scrapper Digital Scrapbooking. I followed this tutorial at SplitCoast Stampers to cut and lay the wedge shaped papers onto another piece of white cardstock, which I'd cut slightly smaller than my card base. The tutorial was so easy to follow, and I'm really pleased with the result.
  
• Butterfly - is the largest butterfly in the Die'sire Essentials Beautiful Butterflies set. I coloured this following a Kit and Clowder Monthly Class bonus Mini Workshop on butterflies from July 2016. I had to change the colour scheme to match my paper, and used my Spectrum Noir Pens in shades PP1, CR2, PP2, CR4, CR6, IG8, True Black and Clear Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen to tone in but followed Alyce's techniques before curving the wings up to make it 3D.
• Sentiment - I embossed a banner shape using my Ulti Bags Embossing Board with my Ultimate Pro and cut this out, before stamping the Happy Birthday sentiment from the Swirly String Sentiment Set by Lili of the Valley (which is fast becoming my "go to" set!) in Tattered Rose Distress Ink
• Ribbon - is from my stash

I hope I've inspired you to come over to Feeling Sketchy and join in with this sketch but if you're short of inspiration, please head over to the blog and check out the other wonderful creations by my clever teamies. Then come back and link up your "make" - we'll be back with our next challenge on 15th October 2016.

I would like to take part in the following challenges:

• Challenge #266 - Blooming Days at The Paper Shelter
• Challenge #169 - Ribbon or Lace at Crafty Ribbons
• Happy Birthday with additional topping of Soft and Simple at Seize the Birthday

I'll be back later on with a rather exciting post ... in the meantime, take care!

Hugs, Helen x